


Sensei: My Bitter Memories

by OTPisForever



Category: Cardcaptor Sakura
Genre: F/M, Romance, Teacher-Student Relationship, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-24 02:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9695663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTPisForever/pseuds/OTPisForever
Summary: Tomoyo is an exchange student in England. What happens when she meets Eriol there as her teacher? She doesn’t remember him and he's already resumed his older form! There is undeniable attraction between the two but will they have the courage to admit it to themselves? Potential lemon in later chapters!





	1. Meet Up

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this about 12 years ago but never got around to finishing it. With the new CCS Clear Card arc, I have reunited with my love for ExT and decided to rewrite and finish this fic. This isn't going to be a long one, maybe 7 to 10 chapters at best, with some minor adult themes here and there. Also, I'm going to make an assumption as to how old Eriol actually is because it was never really revealed in CCS canon world. 
> 
> P.S. I understand in UK they actually use the word Form Teacher instead of Homeroom Teacher, but for simplicity's sake I'm going with the latter. In case you haven't realized yet, this story is sort of a teacher x student fic. But I swear it'll be awesome. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

Tomoyo mumbled to herself as she wrestled through the crowded corridor of her new school. It was the first day of school and all the students were noisy and excited. She had been trying to look for her classroom and it didn't help that most of the students were a lot taller than she was. She glanced at her watch and groaned. This had to be a first. She was never late for class in Tomoeda.  

She finally found her classroom at the end of the 2nd floor hallway. When Tomoyo reached the door, she studied her reflection on the glass and sighed. Her hair was disheveled, her white school shirt was pulled back, and her blue and white knee-length plaid skirt was crumpled and slightly out place. Quickly grabbing her brush from her bag, she combed it through her long raven hair and pushed her 2 blue hairclips back into place. She readjusted her uniform and took a deep breath before finally opening the door to her classroom. She opened her mouth for a greeting but was surprised to see all the students silently bowed down on their seats, intent on finishing something they were writing. 

"I assume you are Daidouji Tomoyo from Japan?" 

Tomoyo's gaze moved to the front of the room and felt her heart skip a beat. The teacher was standing on the platform up front, leaning back on the desk as he watched her with lazy eyes. There was something about the way he looked at her that felt mysterious and almost familiar. He had dark blue hair and blue eyes that were concealed slightly by his glasses. He was tall and lean with his long crisp shirt folded on his elbows. When Tomoyo met his eyes again, she saw that he had an eyebrow raised. 

"Are you finished taking up all of me, miss Daidouji?" he asked with an amused smile. 

Some of her classmates laughed. Tomoyo blushed and opened her mouth in retort. 

"No need to explain, Miss Daidouji. Please sit at the back and write a 5-page essay on how Biology, Chemistry and Physics are applied in this world presently." He continued as he laid the clipboard on the desk and looked at her. "And let me just remind you that it's important to be on time. I am very particular about tardiness in my class." 

Tomoyo sat down on the very last seat at the back of the first row and took out her pen and writing pad. ' _Today must be my lucky day. I managed to get myself an_ _attractive but extremely_ _obnoxious homeroom teacher_ _.' So much for first day high._ Tomoyo sighed as she started scribbling on her writing pad.  

Suddenly, the teacher appeared beside her as he leaned down to slide a piece of paper beside hers. 

"This essay is to be passed today. And please follow this format." The teacher then smiled wickedly and whispered. "You put on quite a show just outside the door, Tomoyo. I suggest you come in early next time if you would prefer to have some time for vanity." 

Tomoyo looked in horror as she realized the glass on the door was translucent. She felt hot around the ears and fought the urge to glare at her teacher. She managed to catch his name from the ID hanging around his neck. "Thank you for the advice, Sir Hiiragizawa." She said through gritted teeth. 

Eriol stared at her with an odd look at his face before turning around to attend to the other students.  

 _'So annoying.'_ Tomoyo thought as she glared at the back of the teacher's head. 

+++ 

The rest of the day turned out to be quite peaceful. She met her new friends, Mika and Yuta, who were the only other Japanese exchange students in all her classes. They had been kind enough to talk to her during break. Mika was ranting about how suave and handsome their homeroom teacher, Eriol Hiiragizawa, had been. Yuta on the other hand was more concerned if the teacher would be recording the essay they wrote this morning. Tomoyo laughed at the two, enjoying the sense of normality she got from the company of the duo. 

As Tomoyo was exiting the main gate of the school, she felt eyes on the back of her head. But when she looked back she found no one. She shrugged and continued walking towards the black limo waiting for her at the corner of the street. 

Meanwhile, sitting on a branch of the nearby tree was Tomoyo's homeroom teacher, whose curious eyes slowly followed the raven-haired lass. He didn't expect to see her here of all places. A wicked grin appeared on his face. The look on her face when he teased her was priceless. She hasn't recognized him yet, she hasn't realized. ' _Well, well,_ _well._ _Seems like I_ _caught_ _myself a_ _feisty little minx_ _in my class_ _._ _'_  

+++ 

Tomoyo woke with a start. She didn't know exactly what it was that woke her up, but it was very unusual for her to be very wide-awake at five in the morning. She glanced at the clock again. _'Maybe one_ _of_ _the effects mom told me.'_   Tomoyo sat up and glanced around her dim room. Although her room here in England was an exact replica of her room in Tomoeda, it just wasn't the same. Here in England it was more gloomy and lonely for some reason... ' _Not like it's any different from  how_ _I normally feel_ _..._ _'_  

Tomoyo hugged her knees and closed her eyes. A few years ago, something happened to her and parts of her memory were lost. She only started to notice it when she found herself lost and confused on the way to Tomoeda High school one day. When they left the doctor's office, her mother looked so grave. It was then that she knew there was something very wrong with her. Her mother hesitated to tell her at first, but after a while she admitted that Tomoyo had inherited her aunt Nadeshiko's disease, the same disease that killed her. 

Sakura, who she still recognized as her best friend and cousin, tried to help her regain her memories by using Tomoyo's videos. With the help of some of the Clow cards, Tomoyo eventually remembered Syaoran and the rest of their close friends from primary school. However aside from the existence of Kero and Yue, she seemed to have forgotten most about their card capturing days.  

After a few months, the symptoms got worse. Whenever she tried to remember something, her head started to hurt and on bad days she would pass out. This prompted Sonomi to convince Tomoyo about joining the scholarship program for a short-term study in England. At the same time, Sakura and Syaoran decided to stop the memory recovery sessions in fear of deteriorating Tomoyo's health any further. Mother and daughter decided to follow the doctor's advice and strictly focused on taking the prescribed medicine.  

After much though, Tomoyo decided to push through with the scholarship application. It was a no brainer that she would get accepted. She knew it would be difficult to separate from her friends and families, but her mother agreed with her that this would be the best time for Tomoyo to take a breather from Tomoeda life and relax. Being surrounded by people who worried about her 24/7 had kept her on her toes and prevented her from enjoying a normal high school life.  

Thankfully, the medicine got rid of her short-term forgetfulness and her headaches lessened. The doctor also said that the illness itself had been subject to study for several years now and they were expecting a potential cure to come out soon. In the meantime, they asked the Daidouji family to wait. Before she left, the doctor reminded her that while the medicine would help to stop her from forgetting, she might still have the occasional inflow of old memories. If this were to happen, she was advised to immediately go to the school clinic or lie down if she was at home. The side effects weren't expected to last for more than a few hours. Most of all, she was advised to try and maintain a positive and relaxed lifestyle during her stay in England as this would give her higher chances of recovery in the future. 

Her mother sent her many bodyguards and ensured all of her expenses. She gave Tomoyo her own house and car, but her car was to be handled by her own driver until she was fully recovered. She had also promised to write to both Sakura and Syaoran until she returned. Her mother reminded her to take her medicine regularly and call her bodyguards or her mother for any emergency. Sonomi had also given her a personal doctor that would visit her house every Sunday to check up on her. 

Tomoyo grabbed her phone and checked the time again. 5:30 am. Her first class starts at 7:30 am so she still had a lot of free time. Tomoyo rose from her bed and walked towards her terrace. She opened the glass doors and welcomed the early morning wind that gently touched her face. She gazed at the horizon, overlooking the greenery that spread over the hills. It was good for her mother to pick a house just at the outskirts of town where there was not much noise.  

She was thankful that she managed to get through her first few day of school just right, including meeting the friendly duo Mika and Yuta. More than that, there was their homeroom teacher, Hiiragizawa Eriol. It was a Japanese name. When Tomoyo first saw him, she thought that he reminded her of someone but she couldn't quite put her finger around it. He seemed to be of Japanese descent but there was no reason for them to have met before.  

Tomoyo leaned down the rail, feeling the familiar frustration creeping up on her. It was always just there, like a memory from the back of her head that kept nagging her, wanting attention but never really getting one. She bit back tears as closed her eyes. It was truly difficult putting up with constant doubt of her own reality. She knew that she was missing a big chunk of her memory. Everyone back home kept giving her smiles and telling her everything was going to alright. She was still trying to convince herself that this was true. Tomoyo gently flicked the small bell attached to the strap of her phone.  

 _'You're_ _pathetic,_ _Tomoyo_ _. Stop being a crybaby.'_  

Tomoyo took a deep breath and forced a smile. At the very least, she moved to England in hopes of making good changes in her life during her stay. And the first step was to accept the reality in which she was in. She spent so many nights reflecting about how she shouldn't be scared of the unknown. She needed to stop worrying about the things she couldn't remember and anything about her behavior that she couldn't understand. _'_ _Daidouji_ _women are built to last_ _af_ _ter all.'_ She mused silently. 

When the raven-haired girl glanced back at her clock again, a part of her wanted to go to school very early. Tomoyo remembered the crowded hallways yesterday, and that was all it took to get Daidouji Tomoyo to rush to school earlier than she expected. 

At 6:30 a.m. Tomoyo was already at the school campus, walking silently along the garden path towards her building. She stopped halfway just as the sun washed the garden with a golden glow. She squinted and shielded her eyes with the back of her hand. The garden was almost enchanting, a mixture of red, yellow, and violet flowers blossomed around her. She could hear the quiet chirping of birds in the distance and smell the faint scent of fresh orchids. Her lips curved upward. 

Eriol stood hidden behind a tree and appreciated the beauty of the deity that stood before him. Tomoyo's long curly hair was loosely tied by a ribbon behind her back, and the wind playfully and lightly tugged at her the loose strands framing her face. The sunlight gave her an almost ethereal glow. Eriol studied her through half-lidded eyes, suddenly feeling the urge to run his fingers through her hair, maybe touch her soft cheeks or trace the smile she had on her face. She was beautiful. 

Eriol cleared his throat as he pushed his inappropriate thoughts away. He quietly moved towards the raven-haired lass and stopped a few meters from her. "Lovely, isn't it? It's my favorite spot in campus." 

Tomoyo spun around and her smile disappeared. 

Eriol saw several emotions in her eyes as she looked back at him. _'Does_ _she seriously still not recognize me?'_  

Tomoyo merely stared at the man in front of her and looked hesitant. 

Eriol smiled. 

"It's a surprise to see you here in the garden so early, Daidouji." Eriol spoke in fluent Japanese in an attempt for small talk. "You'll be surprised to know that I can actually speak Japanese quite well. My father is Japanese and I studied in Japan for a year you see." 

Still there was no answer. 

"It was a nice little town with friendly _young_ people." 

Nothing. 

' _Don't tell me she really doesn't remember...?'_  

Tomoyo finally smiled and responded. 

"I'm relieved to know that you can speak my native language. This makes communicating with you a lot easier, sensei," At this, Eriol winced. "I wish I could talk with you more, but I'm afraid I have to go meet with my friends now." 

Tomoyo bowed and walked briskly past him. 

"Wait a minute." Eriol said firmly. 

"Yes, sensei?" She said. 

"You're probably unhappy with how I treated you yesterday. You know I was just teasing you right? You're not really upset with me, are you?" 

She gave him a confused look. 

"I just want you to know that outside the classroom, we're still friends." Eriol smiled and reminded her. "So I hope you can stop getting all formal on me." 

Tomoyo smiled back. 

"I understand. Hiiragizawa-san." 

At this, Tomoyo turned and ran. Eriol stood there, already frowning. What was wrong with her? It looked like she didn't know him at all, when the past few years they were... 

Eriol's eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

Something was wrong. 

+++ 

Tomoyo stopped running when she finally reached her building lobby. She placed her hand on her chest, unsure if her fast beating heart was from the running or from the surprise of seeing Eriol. When she turned around to find him standing behind her, a dashing smile across his face, she panicked. He had this almost rakish vibe about him that morning. He was in a his dark colored shirt, slightly unbuttoned and held together by a loose white tie on his chest. His hair was pulled back with just a few strands loosely spilling out. She stared back into his eyes and felt mesmerized. It took a while to register that he was still talking to her and she eventually snapped out of her reverie. ' _Tw_ _o_ _consecutive days of checking him out._ _Shame_ _on you,_ _Tomoyo._ _'_  

She looked back towards the now empty garden, suddenly wondering what it was they were talking about. He seemed to have been implying something about visiting Japan. Whatever it was, she didn't catch it. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was actually being unusually familiar with her. Tomoyo recalled the lazy lopsided smile he had on his face. There it was again, the nagging feeling at the back of her mind. The smile was all too familiar. 

Tomoyo shook her head, realizing that she was starting to overthink again. _'_ _Time to focus on more important things_ _.'_ She thought as she pulled her locker open. 

 **+++ END CHAPTER +++**  

 

 


	2. Tomoyo Daidouji

"Man, I'm beat."

"You're so weak, Yuta-kun. Are you a man or what." Mika grinned and elbowed the blonde nerd playfully.

"Stop that. It hurts." Yuta glared at her. "I'm sorry I'm not a macho man like you are."

"What did you just say?"

Tomoyo chuckled from between the two as they walked back to the classroom. If there was something she picked up from spending a week with Yuta and Mika, it's that despite having a peculiar love-hate relationship, they truly cared about each other. They were childhood friends after all. Looking at the two, they seemed like polar opposites. Mika was tall and athletic with long straight black hair, while the blonde Yuta was slightly taller but lanky and reserved.

They were passing by the music room when Tomoyo stopped dead on her tracks. She stared at the grand piano in the middle of the open rom, unblinking. It was happening again. In her eyes, she could see the shadow of a person sitting in front of the piano, hands moved gracefully along the keys. Very faintly, she could hear the memory of a gentle melody in the background.

" _It's very nice to meet you all." A figure standing in front was speaking._

" _-The bear is given to a special person for you."_

" _I can play it as long as it's you singing..." another figure behind a piano._

" _I am Clow Reed.-" Now there were 3 figures floating in the sky._

" _No!"_

" _TOMOYO-CHAN!" A voice that sounded like Sakura's rang in her ears._

" _TOMOYO-C_ HAN!"

"TOMOYO-CHAN!"

Tomoyo snapped out of her reverie to see the worried faces of Mika and Yuta. She felt lightheaded. She looked at the piano again to see the shadowy figure gone.

"Tomoyo-chan?" Mika said silently. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tomoyo rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I think maybe I stayed up too late last night. Got carried away catching up with my friends in Japan."

"You scared us for a while back there. We were calling out to you but you weren't responding." Yuta said.

"Yeah, just spaced out is all. Shall we go? I think class is about to start."

Tomoyo was taking down notes during lecture when something happened. When she looked in front of class, she saw _two_ teachers. She blinked several times and panicked when her vision starting showing doubles of everything. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Her head started to get dizzy.

" _No. Not now please.'_ Tomoyo pleaded silently, struggling to check how long it was before class finished. She didn't want to make a scene. Slowly lying her head on the table, she wrote down whatever she could make sense from the lecture. She prayed she wouldn't get called out.

As soon as the bell rang, Tomoyo started to pack her things. Hiiragizawa-sensei was still speaking, but she couldn't understand it. Whatever it was, Tomoyo would just have to ask Yuta or Mika later on. She needed to go home right away.

"Oh and Miss Daidouji, please remain in class. I need to speak with you. Class dismissed."

Tomoyo head was still throbbing and if she didn't go home soon, she knew she would probably lose consciousness for real. _'Or maybe I should run for the clinic?'_

Tomoyo heard someone call her name and thought she saw Mika and Yuta at the door. The figure that seemed to be Mika was calling to her about something, but she couldn't hear nor understand what it was so she just nodded and waved back. Her two friends waved at her before they left.

' _I don't understand why this is happening to me again. The medicine should have gotten rid of it…wait. It was my medicine this morning. I forgot to take it!'_

Tomoyo cursed under her breath and stood up shakily. When she looked in front of their classroom, she saw the blurry figure of Eriol sitting behind the desk presumably scanning their papers. Tomoyo dragged her feet to the front, fully intent on cutting the conversation short.

"Yes, sensei?" she asked carefully, hoping he wouldn't notice the slight shakiness in her voice.

"So we're back to sensei again?"

"Uhm... was there anything you needed?" Tomoyo ignored his question. "If you don't mind, I actually-"

Eriol sighed and stood up from his seat.

"No more games, Tomoyo. Seriously now."

"Excuse me?" Tomoyo was taken aback. She could barely keep conscious.

"You can stop pretending now. It's just the two of us." It sounded as if he was pleading, but it made no sense to her at all. Her head felt like it was splitting open. "It's been such a long time since we last talked, what do you say we catch up over some tea at my place? Suppi and Nakuru would be more than pleased to see you."

Tomoyo felt the world spin around her before she lost consciousness.

It took a while before Eriol noticed all the signs. Her eyes looked dazed, her breath heavy, and her hands were gripping her books so tight her knuckles were white. He should have noticed earlier that she was shaking from where she stood.

He was just about to ask if she was okay when her eyes closed, her things falling to the ground. Eriol immediately reached forward and caught her in his arms just before she hit the floor.

"Tomoyo! Tomoyo!" He shook her. He quickly glanced around the empty room and pressed his fingers on Tomoyo's forehead, sending magic to his fingertips. He took a sigh of relief. She was just unconscious. He had to bring her to the infirmary and fast.

Eriol gazed at the sleeping figure of Tomoyo on the bed. His immediate reaction was panic when she lost consciousness, then frustration from not knowing what was happening. While the nurse was attending to her, he took a call to Tomoeda and demanded to know what was going on with Tomoyo. Sakura was hesitant at first but eventually let him in on the details. Eriol told her what had happened and Sakura advised him not to mention anything to Tomoyo when she wakes up. From their experience, forcing her to remember only made things worse. Also, she insisted Tomoyo to call her as soon as she got home. Sakura was really worried.

When Eriol went back, the doctor was sitting by Tomoyo's bed.

_Flashback_

" _It's okay." The doctor said when he entered. "She's going to be okay now. She just forgot to drink her medicine this morning."_

_At first, Eriol looked puzzled. "Sorry?"_

" _It's fine. I know all about Ms. Daidouji's...case. The school principal told us about it. All the necessary people had to be informed you see. Their family doctor is a close friend of mine, so I have been tasked to care of her medical needs while she is here. In any case, she's doing better now. Just needs a bit of rest." The doctor smiled. "You're a friend of hers I assume?"_

" _Yes, we're old friends." Eriol replied. It was the truth._

_"Then can I rely on you to look out for her in school? I'm not always around you see. I do some shifts at the hospital as well." He handed Eriol a name card. "I need someone in school who can contact me in times of emergency."_

_"I understand."_

_The doctor stood up to leave._ " _I'd better be going then. I'll ring Mrs. Daidouji and tell her not to worry. I'll leave Tomoyo to you. She'll wake up in a few minutes."_

" _Thank you again, doctor."_

" _It's Doctor Yuri. Please just call me Yuri; I'm not that much older than you, Mr. teacher." Yuri gave him a sly wink."_

_Eriol stuttered._

_"I-I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, it was nice meeting you."_

_End Flashback_

Eriol wasn't sure what the wink was for, Yuri seemed to have misinterpreted something. He sat down on the chair by the bed, feeling worn out. It was a tough morning.

He watched Tomoyo's gentle breathing, his own chest tightening. Somehow, the idea of Tomoyo forgetting about him sent a pang of disappointment to his heart. He wanted more than anything to help her but he didn't know how to. They had kept constant communication over the years but she never told him. And he knew from Sakura that their magic wouldn't work. It was so frustrating.

Eriol reached out and pulled a stubborn curl from her cheek. Despite everything, she was still the same old Tomoyo he knew and cared about. Very quietly, he pressed his lips on her forehead and whispered, "It's going to be alright, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo stirred and Eriol made a gesture to leave. He felt something warm pull on his hand.

"Please don't go, Eriol." She murmured in her sleep.

Eriol sat back down. He felt defeated. He knew it was her unconscious mind talking, she didn't remember him anymore. He gathered her hand between his and sighed. "You know I'll never leave you, Tomoyo."

Several minutes passed and Tomoyo stirred again, this time slowly opening her eyes.

"Daidouji." Eriol said gently. "How are you feeling now?"

Tomoyo looked puzzled for a moment. She looked beside her and saw Eriol. And then she studied her surroundings, wondering where she was. She pulled her hand from between Eriol's, not really noticing.

"Sensei. Where am I?"

"You're in the school infirmary. You fainted a while ago in the classroom."

"Ah, yes... You asked me to stay behind. What was it about again? I can't quire remember."

"It's fine. It wasn't anything important."

"H—how did I get here?"

"I carried you here."

Tomoyo's eyes widened and she sat up abruptly.

"I am so SO sorry, sensei!" She clutched her throbbing head.

"Hey, just take it easy. The doctor said you need to rest today."

Tomoyo sat on the bed for a couple more minutes.

"I sincerely apologize for what happened, sensei." Tomoyo started. "Also, thank you so much for helping me. I hope I didn't give you any trouble..."

"It's no problem. That's what fr-" Eriol hesitated. "Your teachers are for. We look out for our students."

"Mmm..." She looked thoughtful.

"I'll get you some water."

Tomoyo looked at the clock and frowned. She missed her second class. She shifted her legs off the bed, feeling them slightly numb still. She shook her legs and feet a few times to wake them up.

"You sure you don't want to just go home? You've been excused for the rest of the day." Eriol appeared, glass in hand.

"I don't like skipping classes to be honest." She finished the drink in a few gulps.

Eriol offered his arm to her as she climbed down. Tomoyo looked up at her teacher and gave a weak smile. Eriol put his other hand on her other arm to steady her as she stood up. His face was dangerously close to her ear and the soft smell of lilacs entered his senses. He inhaled sharply.

"So gentlemanly of you." Tomoyo said, amused.

"Naturally." He bowed slightly. "I left all your things on the chair. I hope I didn't miss anything."

"Yep, that's all of it. Oh well. Second period should have finished 5 minutes ago." She stretched up, accidentally showing the soft skin of her stomach. Eriol stared.

"I'm off now." Tomoyo looked at Eriol one last time and bowed. "Thank you so much, sensei. I'll see you around."

"See you."

Eriol removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration evident on his face. This wasn't good.

Tomoyo's heart felt warm and tingly as she thought of Eriol carrying her from class all the way to the infirmary. It was one whole building away.

When she finally caught up with her two friends, Mika answered her wave with a grin and accusing look.

"You!" Mika pointed at her.

"Me?" Tomoyo gave her a confused look.

"That was such a sly move what you did back there!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just ignore her, Daidouji-san. She's being childish." Yuta murmured, munching on his burger.

"Yes, I am being an envious child to be more accurate!" Mika leaned forward and raised her brows suggestively. "So, how does it feel to be in the arms of the school's hottest teacher?"

"What..."

"I saw him rushing out from our classroom, carrying you up in his arms. If I were to be honest, I'd say it was really sweet of him. He had a worried look on his face, you know. He didn't even hear us calling him."

Tomoyo blushed.

"I don't know what you're talking about. That was not a 'sly move'. I was really out that time!" She insisted.

Mika burst out laughing.

"We know. We know. We followed him, naturally. We bullied the school nurse into telling us if you were okay. I was just pulling your leg."

Mika took her hands in hers.

"We're happy it was nothing bad, Tomoyo-chan. We were really worried because you'd been acting funny since this morning. Still though, being in sensei's arms...how I wish."

"Well, if you really want to know how it was like..." Tomoyo gave her a mischievous look.

"Nooo! I don't wanna hear it." Mika pulled her tongue out and pretended to cover her ears.

"Sensei had really strong arms and a very toned chest. He held me gently but firmly, and I could smell his intoxicating perfume." Tomoyo said in a slightly louder voice near Mika's ears, which were covered by her hands. "He was really, _really_ sexy."

She noticed too late that Yuta was kicking her from under the table, and that he was staring intently at something above her head. She looked behind her slowly, coming face to face with a black shirt. Her heart sank. Her eyes moved up to meet Eriol's amused eyes. She didn't know for how long her teacher had been standing there or how much he'd heard from what she just said.

"G-good morning, sensei." Tomoyo greeted him and smiled nervously, her cheeks red as a cherry.

Eriol chuckled and leaned down to drop several notebooks on their table. Tomoyo knew it was hers.

"You left them in the infirmary. Also- " Eriol gave her a devilish smile. "I'm very flattered, Daidouji. You're not too bad yourself." Tomoyo could almost feel the heated gaze directed at the back of her head.

"Wah—Wait—I was just joking. I was teasing Mika she—" Tomoyo stammered, she looked to Mika for help and the latter gave her a scary look. It said: _'Don't you dare.'_

"I was joking." She repeated, putting emphasis on the last word.

"Of course you were."

Eriol merely laughed and left.

Tomoyo stared at his retreating figure, dreading the looks on the faces of her friends. She turned around and pretended like nothing happened. Mika's face was white and her mouth was open. Yuta on the other hand, bit his lip and was also red all over his face to prevent from laughing.

"15 minutes before till next class. Let's finish our food." Tomoyo said, her cheeks still red.

She got no response except Yuta's gleeful laugh that echoed across the hall.

From the entrance, Eriol leaned on the wall with his arms folded. He looked at Tomoyo from afar and smiled fondly before turning around to leave.

**+++ END CHAPTER +++**


	3. Eriol Hiiragizawa

Eriol looked pensively out the window as he recalled his talk with Sakura that morning. He wasn't sure how to approach Tomoyo. It was obvious that despite forgetting about him, the familiarity was still there. Often times, Tomoyo would behave really comfortably around him much like how she used to. He could still remember the warmth of Tomoyo's hand in his.

"You look troubled, Master." Suppi flew into the settled down on his lap. "What's on your mind?"

"Hmm..." Eriol leaned back on his red chair. "It's been interesting at the university."

"Something from the university piqued your interest? That's rare."

"Not something. It's _someone_."

Suppi stared at his master silently.

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure if it was meant to be a joke or something. Please don't tell me you found yourself a pretty student to play with."

Eriol ignored him.

"It's the most interesting thing. You never would have imagined who's in my class."

Just then, the sound of rushing footsteps was heard from the door.

"Suppi, did you see my phone? I can't find it and I'm pretty sure I just left it here somewhere..." Nakuru glanced at the two lounging in the big red chair. Her eyes narrowed at the adult sitting on her master's chair. "Who are you? Get away from Suppi right this instant!"

"Cut it out, Nakuru." Suppi said. "Don't you get tired of that same joke? Master has been like this for months now."

Nakuru made a face and burst out laughing.

"I'm so sorry. It's just so fun to pretend like I'm in a movie and, you know, say all those awesome lines."

"Can you please go phone-hunting elsewhere? We were actually in a middle of a conversation before you disturbed us."

"I know." Nakuru put her hands on her waist. "So what's this about our Master getting himself a girlfriend? And why are you only telling Suppi this? You shouldn't keep things from me, Master. I'll get hurt."

"Don't be silly. I don't have a girlfriend and I am not flirting with my students. I may be new at this but I won't do something so inappropriate." Eriol cleared his throat. "Tomoyo was in my class."

Nakuru's eyes widened.

"Daidouji as in Tomoyo-chan? I can't believe it! I didn't know she was studying here! When did she arrive? Where does she live? We have to visit her right away! Suppi, go get my phone for me."

"No."

"How does she look like now? It's been so long since we last saw her..." Nakuru faced her master and eyed him from head to toe. "So... did she recognize you?"

Eriol combed his hair back with his hand.

"No, she didn't."

Not that it was surprising, Eriol didn't look the same as he had been when he was a student in Tomoeda. After coming back to England, he lifted the spell that stopped his ageing process and his residual powers allowed his body to catch up to the years he missed. Or at least most of it. Over the years, his body gradually grew up to that of a 25-year old. In reality, he was actually a few more years older than that but he was more than satisfied with the result... no one would know anyway. The whole ageing process had been and was still a struggle for himself and it wasn't without some sacrifices.

"Don't be hurt, master. I'm sure she'll recognize you eventually. I mean, who wouldn't recognize that handsome face?"

"Right." Eriol said sarcastically. "On a more serious note, there's something else that worries me at the moment. She didn't recognize me but it wasn't quite the issue. It's that she seemed to have totally forgotten about me."

"What do you mean?"

"I introduced myself to her. I even gave subtle hints about being her friend, but she looked at me as though I was a stranger. So I called Sakura today to find out what was going on and..." Eriol took a deep breath and looked down, staring at nothing in particular. "Tomoyo's sick. They say it's akin to the illness that Nadeshiko had before she died, except she's been having...memory failures."

Two pairs of eyes urged him to continue.

"At first, they tried all sorts of things. Sakura and Syaoran have tried and it seems that the illness is not magic related. They're not entirely sure about this though. Tomoyo has resorted to medicine from the doctor which has helped to get rid of the symptoms, but the side effect is that she has been unable to recover some of her past memories she lost. As you can probably deduce, I was part of the missing ones.

Eriol shared the rest of the details with his guardians.

"Poor thing..." Nakurus said. "But why did she come here alone?"

"I don't know."

"She must be very lonely being away from family and friends. Master, we should visit her! I'm sure she'll love the company."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Suppi said. "She's forgotten about us right? We can't just barge in there and act all friendly when she thinks of us as strangers."

"You're right."

Eriol stood up and grabbed his keys from the nearby desk. "Master..." Suppi started.

"You're _both_ right is what I meant. We can't just barge in her house uninvited, but I can as her teacher. I'll think of an excuse on the way. I'm worried about her. I like to think that we became good friends because we genuinely got along, so let me try and get her to talk."

Both guardians followed as Eriol headed towards the main door. He grabbed his coat and plucked Nakuru's phone from the pocket of her coat that had been beside his. Nakuru snatched her phone away almost instantly.

"I think that's a great idea." Nakuru said. "Although I wish we could go along with you, but I guess next time is fine too."

"You guys go ahead with dinner. I'll drop you guys a message if I'm coming home late."

"Do you even know where she lives?" Suppi asked.

"Of course I do. I'm her teacher."

"Do you know how to get there? Are you _really_ sure about doing this?"

"Yes and yes, mom." Eriol smirked.

"Master." Suppi flew between Eriol and the door. "I know I don't have to remind you, but no monkey business. You're visiting a young lady who is currently living alone in a big house."

Eriol almost choked.

"Suppi, you insult me. I'm not a pervert teenager who would lunge at any chance to be alone in a room with a girl."

"You know what I mean."

"I'll be a responsible adult. Plus, she's a good friend." Eriol smiled fondly. "Please take care of the house while I'm away."

Eriol shut the door behind him and headed to his car. It was about 5:30 in the afternoon and it should be about a 15 minute drive to Tomoyo's house. He hoped that Tomoyo had gotten over what happened that afternoon. Eriol smiled as he remembered her stuttering red-faced stupor. He realized he had been wanting to see her face again since he got home.

Suppi looked out from the windowsill. He made no sound but there was a silent and tense atmosphere around him.

"Suppi, stop worrying. I'm sure he'll be fine." Nakuru said nervously, in an attempt to convince both Suppi and herself.

Their master went through some challenging times in the past year or so. His sudden ageing body took a toll on him and his personality had a hard time adapting to the changes in his physique. He had to isolate himself from the rest of the world as he let his body age, never going to the same place twice, never establishing relationships with anyone in fear of having someone discovering his secret. There were times when he would start to behave strangely, as if his personality would regress to his body's actual age then he would go back to behaving like his usual self. To Suppi and Nakuru, taking care of Eriol during those times felt like being actual parents taking care of an adolescent boy. It was particularly difficult having Eriol curb his sudden raging hormones, but his reaction to his own behavior afterwards was always priceless. It took some time but he eventually learned how to manage it.

Their master's body finally stopped ageing about half a year ago and Eriol was slowly returning to his old self, however once in a while he would make very odd and sometimes out-of-character decisions such as his recent plight to join the university faculty. Not that he wasn't suited for the job. He was an intelligent man but his personality was not cut out to be teacher material. If she didn't know any better, she's think Eriol was doing this for a totally different reason altogether. _'So far, so good though.'_ Nakuru smiled. He wanted this so he'll have to power through it. In fact, maybe Tomoyo joining the picture was timely. She might just be the cure to completely get him back to his old self.

"I know what you're thinking." Suppi said. "As much as I'd like to agree with you, we both know that a part of him changed not because off his ageing body. It's takes more than a few months to get over that. In any case, let's hope that their friendship will prove to be good influence for him. It's Tomoyo after all."

She knew that Eriol and Tomoyo regularly exchanged messages. Of course Eriol was more constantly in touch with Syaoran and Sakura, but it was Tomoyo that he opened up more to on a personal level. Master was surely happy to see one of his close friends again. _'Let's just hope he doesn't ruin it by doing something stupid.'_

"I think I actually have a good feeling about this."

"And I'm not sure I trust your gut feel."

"That's cruel, Suppi. I'm not cooking you any dinner!" She stomped off, her heavy steps echoing loudly in the empty mansion.

"Thank you." Eriol smiled at the maid who had put tea and snacks on the center table.

It wasn't hard to find Tomoyo's place near the outskirts of town. The house itself was a nice two-story bungalow situated in the middle of a large estate. The screen panel beside the tall metal gate lit up just as he arrived. He had only managed to give his name and the bodyguard (he presumed) on the opposite side of the screen confirmed that he was Tomoyo's homeroom teacher from school and opened the gates. He was mildly surprised and impressed at the level of security for one lady. That's Sonomi Daidouji for you.

A single maid was waiting for him outside of the main door but Eriol could feel the presence of several people around the perimeter. "This way please." The young girl led him inside the house into the drawing room. He was told to wait and that Tomoyo would be down shortly.

He took a sip of his tea as he settled down the lush cream-colored couch. The room was mostly filled with cream and canary furniture, with only the plum colored armchair and similarly-colored velvet pillows providing the needed contrast. Everything about the room reminded him of his lavender-haired student, which made him feel mildly comfortable and relaxed. In fact, he could almost catch the faint scent of Tomoyo in the air.

He recalled watching her in school garden. It almost seemed as if she was enjoying freedom she never had, simply taking in the fresh air and space around her, ignoring everything else. Her long lashes touched her rosy cheeks, and her full lips parted slightly as she breathed. He had almost forgotten how attractive Tomoyo was. He knew from his brief stay in Tomoeda that she was quite well-known among the boys in town. And she had grown even more splendidly since then.

Eriol massaged his temple, suddenly feeling a headache coming up. ' _This is just so wrong in so many levels.'_

Tomoyo cleared her throat as she entered the room.

"Sensei, it's a pleasure to see you. To what do I owe this visit?" She sat down across him, her face slightly flushed. She wasn't looking at him in the eye.

"Miss Daidouji, I apologize for the unannounced visit. I wanted to check on you. Have you been well since this morning?"

"I-I'm fine now. Thanks for worrying about me."

Tomoyo poured herself some tea and took a sip. Eriol was amused. She was clearly still embarassed about what happened.

"It's not a problem. If anything, you had me really worried. I can't have my students passing out in school."

"You're right. But it won't happen again."

"You don't sound very convinced." Eriol chuckled.

Tomoyo laughed nervously.

"Well, you see..."

"It's alright, Ms. Daidouji. I have been made aware of your situation. I'm your homeroom teacher after all. I should be informed these things so I will know what I need to watch out for. In school, you will be my responsibility. I had a talk with your doctor in the infirmary." Eriol saved her from fabricating a story for him. He wasn't exactly lying either. The doctor assumed he already knew of Tomoyo's illness when they were discussing in the infirmary.

"I see." Tomoyo looked down.

"You don't have to worry about anything."

"I'm not asking for special treatment." She said firmly.

"That goes without saying." Eriol smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that you can reach out to me if you need any help. I know you're keeping this from your friends and it always helps to know there's someone you can talk to. Despite my strict demeanor in school, I do care about my students. If you need a day off from school I'm fine with that, but you just need to tell me in advance so I can drop off the lecture notes tomorrow."

Tomoyo stared at him with furrowed brows.

"By chance is there anything on my face?"

"No no. I was just wondering if you were serious."

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Let's just say you gave me a totally different impression when we met."

"You hurt my feelings, Daidouji. I assure you my intentions are genuine." Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "Although I do get where you're coming from. I sometimes come off as slightly cad but I'm more known as trustworthy and reliable than anything." Eriol gave her a lopsided smile.

"Are you always like this to your students?"

"I'm always nice to my students."

"Do you always tease your students? I don't mean to be rude, but you seem to have a habit of doing that quite often."

Eriol gave a small laugh.

"I'm also known as a fun teacher."

"You seem to be known as a lot of things." Tomoyo felt amused.

"Because I'm _special._ Most people don't know it but this is actually my first teaching gig. And I'm the youngest teacher in school too."

"Now you're just bragging. Also, why am I not surprised that you're younger than most professors? You seem childish to me."

Eriol gave her a faux hurt look.

"Thanks, sensei. I really appreciate the concern." Tomoyo gave him a genuine smile for the first time, deciding to trust him

"That's better. That pretty face was always meant to have that lovely smile gracing it." Eriol said before he could stop himself. _Shit._

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. _'Was always meant to?'_

"I was just trying to cheer you up. Went too far...?" Eriol laughed nervously.

"No, of course not." Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "You're just being your usual self, sensei. Although if I may give you some advice, those antics are easily mistaken for giving too much affection. I pity the girls whose hearts will break."

She hastily put the last of the crackers in her mouth and finished the rest of her tea in one gulp. She surprised both her teacher and herself from that last comment. She didn't know where it came from, but she got no response. She felt her ears heating up.

"Thanks for the meal. I won't be needing a day off as the headaches are gone and I feel perfectly fine now. But I appreciate the offer, maybe if I find myself in a worse off situation I'll take you up on that offer again?" She said hurriedly.

"Of course...and there's one more thing, two actually." Tomoyo froze halfway up her seat, then sat back down.

Eriol looked her straight in the eye with a serious expression. "If you are feeling even slightly out of it, you let me know. Any headaches in school, you let me know. The doctor isn't always available you see, but I'm more or less free even after school. If in case he is unable to see you, I can pick you up wherever you are. This was what Doc Yuri and I discussed in the infirmary today. He has specifically asked for my help on this matter as your homeroom teacher."

She bit her lip. "I understand."

"Good."

Eriol leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs. "Now we can talk about you."

"What do you mean talk about me?"

"As a teacher, I go out of my way to get to know my students personally. As you know, most of the people in class are exchange students so it is important for me to get a good grasp of the type of students I have. I want to make the most out of your learning experience while you're here. Naturally, all that we talk about today will stay in this room."

"You're lying." Tomoyo scoffed at him. Eriol winced internally. _'Was I too obvious?'_

"I'm serious, Daidouji. I thought you said so just earlier?"

"I've never done this before. Is this normal practice in English schools?"

"Some of the modern ones, yes."

"I see. And you did this with everyone?"

"Yes, I will. You're the lucky first." Eriol smirked.

"I'm flattered." Tomoyo smiled sarcastically. "So I'm basically having another interview."

"Interview?" Eriol feigned hurt. "This is a discussion between _friends_. Let's get to know each other. I want you to feel comfortable around me."

Tomoyo's heart skipped a beat on the last bit.

"Alright then, sensei. How does this go?"

"Well let's start with your hobbies. What takes up most of your free time on a normal day? What makes you happy? What annoys you? And please no application form type answers. I read the forms of each and every one of you, so tell me something I don't know."

"Hmm.. Hobbies?" Tomoyo pressed a finger on her chin. "I'm into videography and design, nothing fancy, just casual sideline things that don't require me to go out more often that I need to. I'm also part of the choir, but I'm sure you know already." Eriol nodded. "What makes me happy... my family I guess, I miss spending quality time with them sometimes. Even if it's just going to cafes for a chit chat. What annoys me. Hmm.. Tricky. I hate it when people lie to me."

"As in like telling you tomorrow's lesson is easy and then suddenly having a pop quiz instead?"

Tomoyo looked horrified. "I wasn't thinking of that actually, but doing that would be cruel don't you think? It's still the first week of school."

Eriol laughed. "Aww. And I thought it would actually be more fun for everyone."

The pair spent the rest of the afternoon chatting away. As Eriol had expected, the familiarity was there and it didn't take long for Tomoyo to open up to him. Soon enough, she shared about her exciting childhood with Sakura and Syaoran, taking care not to mention about Clow Reed's powers. Two excited voices and occasional laughter could be heard from the drawing room.

"If I may be so frank, I'm quite impressed with the security around this place." Eriol mused. "When I entered the estate, they took my name and my face and instantly knew who I was."

"Yep. Our security knows everyone I know. Everyone relevant, that is. I never really saw it but one time I overheard some of the bodyguards chatting about a profile book of everyone I've ever been close with."

"Wow. That's both amazing and impressive. Do they listen to your conversations too?"

"They don't. They don't really get in the way of my everyday life. They're supposed to be there to protect me in case something bad happens, but not close enough that I'll get bothered by it. We can safely assume though that they're always close by wherever I go. That's my compromise with my mom for agreeing to this."

"Hmm... a princess must always be protected by her knights in shining armor, I see. Does this mean I can't make the princess mad?"

"You have been warned."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing your bodyguards aren't allowed inside the school premises right?"

Tomoyo opened her mouth to retort back before a knock was heard from outside the door.

"Mistress Tomoyo, dinner is ready."

"Thanks Elise. I'll be right over."

"And that will also be my queue to leave." Eriol wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Also, please tell the chef my guest will be joining me for dinner."

"Understood."

Eriol raised his brows at Tomoyo.

"I accept your invitation?" Eriol joked.

"You don't have a choice."

"Lead the way, my lady."

They were having their dessert when Elise politely interrupted with Tomoyo's cellphone in hand. It was her mom. _The news has finally reached her I suppose._ She quickly excused herself from dinner and stepped out to quickly reassure her mom that she was fine.

"I'm sorry about that. It was my mom checking up on me."

"It's to be expected." Eriol glanced at the phone Tomoyo put beside her plate. "That's a very interesting accessory you have there."

She pointed to the mauve and white striped leather strap with a tiny bell. "You mean this? It's a gift from one of my dearest friends. Though to be totally honest, I can't exactly remember who." She smiled sheepishly. "It's very special to me though, I sort of treat it as my good luck charm."

It was more than that really. She knew the strap was given to her by someone special and she always treasured it. Often times she would play with the tiny bell and it would put a smile on her face. It helped a lot at times when she was sad.

"I see." Eriol had a weird look on his face.

"What?"

"What what?"

"You look funny."

"It's nothing." Eriol finished the last of his dessert and it was silent between them for a brief moment.

"I'm into gardening. Playing the piano makes me happy. And it annoys me when people talk to me when I want to be alone."

Tomoyo blinked.

"I just thought it would be fair for you to get to know me too."

"You play the piano?"

"Yes. I quite like playing some music very early in the morning. It calms me."

"Interesting. I can't say I'm surprised though, you have such delicate hands. Maybe one of these days you can play for me. We have a grand piano in the living room."

"I would love to." Eriol smiled sweetly.

Tomoyo looked down in thought. She wasn't surprised because she felt she knew it even before he told her. Somehow, it all felt so nostalgic.

"I know I told you I missed my family. But I'm actually quite relieved to be far away from them." Tomoyo said quietly.

Eriol looked surprised but didn't say anything.

"I know they're all worried for me back home and I love them, but it felt so suffocating to be around everyone. I know it's insensitive of me. I came here to England because I wanted to take a break from everything. I just wanted to live somewhere that nobody knows me and I don't need to be pressured about remembering something or someone. It gets lonely and scary sometimes though. I don't know what the future holds for me at this point."

"I know how you feel." When he spoke, his voice was gentle and comforting. "I won't tell you that everything's going to be alright. What's more important right now is for you to make the most out of your stay here and don't overthink anything. Life isn't meant to be so complicated. Stay here in England until you're comfortable enough to go back to your family and friends. In the meantime, you have me."

Tomoyo felt her heart skip a beat. His blue eyes stared into hers and she felt like she could get lost in it. It was as if he was looking into her soul, understanding everything she had written between the lines.

"I know you just met me and I know I'm your teacher, but I'm going to be there for you."

 _Of course, he's my teacher._ Tomoyo broke her gaze. She was having such a great time in his company that she forgot about one important fact.

"Thank you, sensei."

Tomoyo walked slowly in front of Eriol as she led her to the front door. They were both quiet. It was as if a spell broke after dinner and the close friendship they seemingly had was replaced with an awkward and unexplainable silence.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Sensei."

Tomoyo turned around and bumped into Eriol. She hadn't noticed that he was walking closely behind her. He held her elbow to steady her and she ended up putting her hands to his chest for support. The musky scent of cologne entered her senses and she suddenly felt hot. She looked up and saw his face close to hers. She stopped moving.

Warning bells were ringing in Eriol's head.

Tomoyo was staring up at him, her face slightly flushed and her eyes lidded. Her enticing mouth was partly open. The temptation was so strong he just couldn't resist. He leaned forward ever so slightly.

Eriol's phone rang and they both jolted, springing away from each other.

"H-hello?" Eriol mentally cursed himself and spoke through gritted teeth. That was too close.

"Thanks for having me, Daidouji. I had a wonderful time today. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

When Eriol's car drove out the gate, he glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Tomoyo still standing on her porch. She was standing with one hand over her mouth, staring at nothing in particular. ' _You're damn stupid, Eriol.'_

**+++ END CHAPTER +++**

Hope you guys liked it! Reviews please!

I just love these two so much! 3


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